


Undone - Part Three of Motley Few: A Twilight Tommy Tale in Three Parts

by GitariArt



Series: Twilight Tommy Tales [7]
Category: OC – Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Changelings, Drama, Dreams and Nightmares, Faeries – Freeform, Fairies, Fairy, Fairy Tale Elements, Fights, Gen, Major character death - Freeform, Memory Related, Mythical Beings & Creatures, OC, OC - character – Freeform, Original Character – Freeform, Original Character(s), POV First Person, Plot, Relationship(s), Supernatural Elements, The Folk, Urban Fantasy, Violence, fae, faery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-05-18 08:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5909866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GitariArt/pseuds/GitariArt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Oaksworn experiences is caught unprepared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SPECIAL NOTE: I have decided that I do not like the wa this story reads. Therefore, I shall be revising the style of the narrative, as soon as I get done posting the concecutive Twilight Tommy tale. Sorry, about the weird bait and switch.
> 
> Warning/Apology: this story may contain grammar/spelling fails, due to my vision disability and the limits of spell-checking software. I am seeking a beta-editor. I apologize for any inconvenience and will gladly correct any errors which are brought to my attention via comment on this site or email at gitaritart@gmail.com.  
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to persons or characters, living, dead, or fictional, or to actual places or events, is coincidental.  
> Gratitude: Extra-special thanks goes to Rachel, my endlessly loving and encouraging wife.  
> SPOILER?: This story makes references to events which took place in earlier Twilight Tommy tales. I am not sure they qualify as SPOILERS, but you may want to read those preceding stories first.

Now, dearest reader, we come to the final part of this collection of memoirs. For reasons which your modest author believes shall become apparent, his recollection, of the time in question, is even hazier than usual. As you shall see, circumstances became such that your author’s otherwise diligent personal journaling became, well let us say haphazard. And as you, loyal reader, surely know by now, your author’s tales all grow from the seeds of his journals. That is in addition to how personally difficult your author finds it to dwell on thoughts of the days surrounding this particular tale’s climax.

          So, dear reader, the following tale may seem abrupt and comparatively choppy. It is earnestly the most honest recounting that your author could reconstruct. Thus, your most humble author hopes that you are able to look upon the following tale with a forgiving eye.

 

After an exhaustive evening of ritualistically returning a fox to his spirit-touched form, the day flattened quickly into mundane minutia. From dreary grey mid-December sky to moving through unimaginative streets to interactions with blandly unaware mortal humans, the day after completing King/Queen Jesse Frost’s commissioned quest was dull from every angle. Though, admittedly, some of the disinterest had to be chalked-up to simply being too tired to be interested.

          For Twilight Tommy, the most interesting thought that he had that day was, “If we had kept the Lover’s Rite going just a little longer, would Mostly have reverted all the way back to human?”

          The luck-light-sprite shared his musing with Tegan Bramblerose, as the pair ran an errand for the rest of their generally slothful Oaksworn allies. The alluring bloomwell shook her head, after some consideration, “I doubt the ritual was that powerful, but if it was, it was tied to Veritas and she only knew Mostly as a changeling. So, I’m pretty sure the magic could only draw on her memories of him, to fill in what he lost….” Consternated, Tegan chewed her luscious crimson lower-lip. “Plus, if it could have been pushed further, Mostly may have become human, but I’m sure Veri would have been torn to shreds or burnt to cinders in the final transformations.”

          Twilight Tommy was fascinated with the idea of anyone being able to regain their mortal forms, even though he personally harbored no such desire. On the other hand, the blond elf lad fully agreed with Miss Bramblerose’s sentiment and had know interest in participating in any activity which swapped one persons life for another’s.

          The errand, on which the two attractive and charming elves had been sent, involved exchanging some of the gold necklaces for cash. Then, visiting the Oaksworn’s mortal lawyer to have him deposit the funds in the motley’s joint bank account. Since the Oaksworn had yet to collect their attorney-arranged banking information, the process made more sense than simply making their own deposit. Twilight Tommy personally kept his portion of Ms. Frost’s payment though. Not that the mundane gold chain was particularly pretty. Rather, the slender sprite favored the physically weighty reminder of the convoluted adventure. An attitude which flipped harshly, however, when applied to a couple of the other recipients of the jewelry-based payments.

          When Tegan Bramblerose and twilight Tommy were able to rejoin their fellow ritual performers, back at their shared and extra-dull rental house, Dark Sol and Iron Wade the Man of Steal had also daned to be present. Tommy knew that he was far out-voted, so could only silently fume as the grim gremlin and darkling vitalityleech received their allotment of necklaces, for a job in which neither had actually participated. Even telling himself that the real point was to have taken that extra money from Ms. Frost, was of little comfort to Twilight Tommy. The situation was made worse when Dark Sol and Iron Wade each barely acknowledge there windfalls.

Twilight Tommy’s upset only grew further, when Iron Wade the Man of Steal refused to share where he had hied off to the previous night. While Dark Sol blithely ignored the larger group’s tale to share her shopping anecdote. “Ooh, it was great.” The perky vitalityleech bubbled away. “After I finally found the eye seller, I was able to get a whole jar of newt’s eyes.” She waggled a large orangey pill bottle, at the group. “They’re _really_ crisp, but _pop_ and _ooze_ , when you bite down.”

          “You ate one?!” forgetful Gavin Granitbane asked. While at the same moment sourpuss Sean Tallwind said, “Thought ya just needed to swallow one.”

          “Where’s the fun in that?” Answering Dark Sean first, Sol’s endless-black eyes crinkled at their corners. “And I had to make sure the eyes worked for my blinding glamour.”

          “Wait, _blinding_?!” Iron Wade seemed to finally understand some of the leeriness which had plagued Twilight Tommy, regarding the creepy vitalityleech. “Who did you blind?!”

          Dark Sol’s dismissive account of “some stray dog” only fueled concerns and unease. Yet, not enough to provoke admonitions. Certainly not so much, by Twilight Tommy’s judgment, that the majority would support asking Dark Sol to leave their motley.

          Here, dear reader, is an example of the aforementioned piecemeal nature of this tale. Even with the errands and conversations, most of the daylight hours were spanned by slumber. So, some of the talking must have taken place after resting. Certainly the part of the discussion involving dreamemberings, must have been post-sleeping.

          The gnarling duo of Sean Tallwind and Iron Wade the Man of Steal had also combined their forces to make a remarkably passable breakfast, Twilight Tommy was still in no mood to compliment the hash-marked gremlin, because of his disappearing act the night before. In spite of turning the relatively vile mortal fare into almost palatable food, being truly worthy of praise. Even so, distraction from the unavoidable under-tones of added chemicals, was called for and came in the form of Freerunner and Gavin Granitbane’s Dreamland encounters.

          “It felt even weirder than usual.” Generally gregarious as trudging along what seemed like an endless plain. Hard to tell though, ‘cause I was in this sort of trench, up to my eyeballs.” He shrugged wide blocky shoulders. “Anyway, the really peculiar bit was there was this little dark raincloud that just followed and rained on me. And the raindrops were all different colors and sort of eroded my skin to mud where they hit.” He shook his reddish-orange head. “Only, the really odd part was that it felt personal. Like someone was doing it to me, but not my Keeper.”

          “Rrr mine was morerere typical forrrr me.” Freerunner garbled his own subconscious experience. “Big rrrrainbow-snake gobbled up rrr the nice rrr family of harereres, that lived down the rrr way. Rrr then rrr it came forrr me.”

          As was becoming more typical, for the Oaksworn, no-one else had dreamembered that day. However, Tegan Bramblerose did twirl an auburn lock nervously around two elegant fingers, “Well, I did dream something the other night, that seems to have a common thread… well, two, maybe.” She twirled the hair the other way. “I was in the garden and there was this giant venus flytrap kind of plant that was dripping rainbow colored nectar, which lured away all of my buzzy-bee friends.”

          Twilight Tommy could not keep from interrupting, with a sigh, to recount his own dream encounter, of a vicious rainbow sky-mouth, from many days earlier.

          “So, yeah,” Tegan Bramblerose resumed her point, “we all have this common rainbow element. But, like Gavin, I also felt like the flytrap wasn’t from my memories.”  Her emerald eyes sparkled fiercely. “It was actually sort of cool, because I realized that, while still dreaming. So, I was able to concentrate on getting rid of the flytrap and a big gust of wind came and swept it away.”

          Which was all it took to convince every Oaksworn that they were under attack via the Dream Lands. Unfortunately, other than arbitrarily believing that only one villain was to blame—rather than a team—none of the motley could identify a suspect or reason for the threat. Nor did anyone have any clues regarding viable defenses or other counter measures. Furthermore, the only idea of where to find such clues was to buy them at the Goblin Market. So, unsurprisingly, that is what the group resolved to attempt.

          That evening’s weather had turned blustery with spates of icy mist, through which all eight Oaksworn traveled in their three vehicles. Twilight Tommy barely even wondered why all of the motley went. Either the Goblin Market magically lured spirit-touched in general, or the Oaksworn in particular just experience such a compulsion. Or, perhaps, all vine-fresh spirit-touched merely sought to get out of the flat banality of their mundane surroundings, whenever possible. Regardless, Twilight Tommy knew that there would be no dissuading any of his friends, as much as he knew that they would not actually gather any information or items of use.

          Rather than pairing with any of the others and frustrating himself further, once at the Goblin market, Twilight Tommy headed off on his own business. Foremost, to collect the thornwoven hats. The short goblin, in the oddly colored ringmaster’s outfit had done exactly as Twilight Tommy had requested. While completing his transaction the occasionally clever elfin lad thought of the leaves and acorns, which fair Amaryllis had allowed him to gather, and he also traded the hatter a couple of strands of his own blond hair, for a pair of hatbands. Thus, a facet of Twilight Tommy many-sided mind was filled with ideas for making leafy headdresses.

          Mostly though, the slender elf came away, from the hatter, the proud owner of two ball-caps, primarily formed of woven and pressed feathers. Strategically placed glass beads gave each cap the distinct impression of a duck’s head, from the front, and a hawk’s, from behind. Twilight Tommy happily wore one of his anti-fishing hats, while stowing the other just-in-case cap in his paranoia-pack. Once back in the world where cell-phones worked, twilight Tommy would employ his iPhone6S to verify that the caps also had their own Masques. To mortal perceptions, the niggler repelling briarspun appeared as typical Cleveland Browns supporter merchandise.

          Then Twilight Tommy ostensibly sought out his Oaksworn associates, though in all honesty his attention was really more on browsing the Market. In fact, if truth must be told, the light-sprite had also forgotten the Oaksworn’s stated reason for being there—to seek a remedy or response to Dreamland invasion. So, it was unlikely that Tommy would be able to fool anyone into believing that his second purchase was actually intended as a dream deterrent.

          Such a claim would have been a stretch of even Gavin Granitbane’s imagination, since Twilight Tommy had procured a bag of wander-weed seeds. According to the goblin grocer, the Briar-seeds in question made living creatures addled. The seller suggested that planting the wander-weed, around a Briar-based haven, would cause snoops and predators to forget their purposes and wander away. While it was more of Twilight Tommy’s hope to somehow dose his shadow-eater duplicate, causing the Keeper-made thing forget its stolen life.

          Inevitably, Twilight Tommy found one or more of the Oaksworn, or they him, and so on. When all eight had re-congregated, beyond the Goblin Market’s entrance, there was zero shock to discover that six members of the group had done little more than walk around the faery bazaar. Other than Twilight Tommy, only diligent Tegan Bramblerose had interacted with  merchant and, more so, she had stayed on task. The bloomwell had successfully sought information about combating dream-assailants.

          “So, is that a glamour?” Dark Sol asked for clarification.

          Tegan Bramblerose shook her head, “No, oneiromancy is more like a skill, from what the elf, that I spoke to, said. We’re all supposedly capable of doing it.” Her petal-lips set firm. “Only, to do it at all well requires practice.”

          “But, with practice,” it was Iron Wade the Man of Steal’s turn to seek clarity, “we’ll be able to stop the rainbow intruder?”

          “If we get better than him or her.” Tegan Bramblerose nodded. “In fact, if any of us got good enough, we could travel in Dream to each other and offer protection that way too. Or, to any dreamer, really.” Her green eyes twinkled with imagined possibilities. “We could, supposedly, even forage wyrd from sleeping mortals.”

          Unsurprisingly, none of the other Oaksworn showed any interest in twilight Tommy’s new hat, beyond a couple of snide smirks. So, the light-sprites attitude was once more dampened, on the group’s return to their rented ranch-style house. However, Twilight Tommy did find some solace in recalling that their mutual vow to protect each other only implied against physical threats. So, the blond lad felt no obligation to explain about protecting their thoughts from the invisible nigglers.

          On the other hand, dear reader, you should not have the impression that your humble author had withdrawn into himself, as Raion-ju or Freerunner so often seemed to do. Truthfully, that day and the next contained lively conversations in which even the felinoid ogre participated. Some of the discussions even centered around topics of value and import, though it was still questionable how much follow through most of the Oaksworn would have.

          There was talk of furnishing the rental property, possibly with workshops for leather, metals, and wood. The two gnarlings obviously favoring the former two options, while Gavin Granitbane made claims of woodworking skills, which he might employ to craft items for trade at the Goblin Market.

          More intriguing for Twilight Tommy, though, were the discussions of fae courts and shadow-eaters.

          “Hey,” Twilight Tommy contributed, “the greater social acceptance and mutual protection, offered by either court or Freehold, is a no-brainer, as far as I’m concerned.” He shrugged slim shoulders. “For personal preference, though, I like the Red Court, out in Vegas, followed by Ariadne’s Freehold.”

          Raion-ju made a bitter face at the mention of Las Vegas. The other Oaksworn were less negative, yet still strongly favored the nominal comfort of familiarity with small-town Athens Ohio. Since it was more strategically sound to all join a single court, Twilight Tommy was more than willing to forego his choleric preferences to stay with the others. Not that the situation was settled.

It was Tegan Bramblerose who pointed out, “Since we can’t decide if it’s better to be neutral, with the Freehold, or part of the more widespread and dynamic Salamander Court, we’re just going to have to ask more questions.”

“Rrr yeah,’ Freerunner spearheaded the overall sentiment, “find out rrr who has the rrr best quality rrr of life, rrr sort of thing.”

          As for the Shadow eaters, it was actually Twilight Tommy who had broached the subject. “Since swiping Fetch-tom’s Mustang went so well, I was wondering if I could get help with driving the bastard away, more permanently. Then, I could do the same for anyone else, interested.”

          “What, like we take out your doppelganger,” Dark Sol pressed the point, “and you’ll take out ours?”

          Twilight Tommy nodded, but it was earnest Raion-ju who spoke, “Count me in. But, I’m dealing with Fetch-Leroy personally.”

          The other Oaksworn were fairly stunned at the normally laconic cat-lad’s fervency. When prompted, Raion-ju merely explained, “The filthy thing’s dealing drugs, with a biker gang, and my younger brother is looking up to that crap.”

          All of this preamble, fair reader, serves well to show how the Oaksworn were finally, albeit incrementally, growing together. Also, highlighting why Twilight Tommy and some of the others might have felt more partnership with the group, than ever before. Counterintuitively, further reinforced by the motley splitting into pairs, in order to more efficiently gather the mundane purchases and less mundane investigations. It was the luck of those without vehicles to speak with whatever Freehold and Court members that could be found.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> View the [dramatis personae](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3632565), to help keep track of characters and pseudonyms:  
> A Quick Reference:  
> Summerfire ≡ Rust-Red Spear, Swords, and Spades ≡ Choleric ≡ rage and competition  
> Autumnearth ≡ Bronze Mirror, Pentacles, and Diamonds ≡ Melancholic ≡ terror and lore  
> Winterwater/ice ≡ Frozen Crystal Challis, Cups, and Hearts ≡ Phlegmatic ≡ sorrow and secrecy  
> Springair/wood ≡ Flowered Cape, Wands, and Clubs ≡ Sanguine ≅ desire and pleasure  
> Also see the full [glossary](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5165390), for tracking unusual terms and concepts.  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

Twilight Tommy and Gavin Granitbane were out shopping for carpentry supplies, when the call came. Tegan Bramblerose was establishing a conference-call with most of the Oaksworn. Amaryllis, Freerunner, and Sean Tallwind were not involved. The dryad, obviously, had no phone, within the mystical Twisting Briar. As for the loose-skinned gnarling and the otter-beastling, odds were that they had just forgotten to turn their devices on, so a long conference-call voice mail was left for each of them to hear later.

          “Sean might also be out of cell coverage.” Iron Wade the Man of Steal mentioned as the call was getting underway. “As soon as we split up, this morning, he said that he was going to head to Las Vegas via the oak-portal. And, if he’s still hiking through Red Rock, there’s a lot of dead zones.”

          “Oh, I really hope he made it, because the oak is what this is all about.”” Tegan Bramblerose’s voice was exceptionally worried. “Sol and I are outside of Sheaves & leaves now, but we just got back from our haven and its been captured.”

          It took a minute for the chorus of “what does that mean?” and “how?” and such like, to subside.

          “We wanted a change of clothes, before heading to the Barrow Mound.” Tegan Bramblerose was eventually able to explain. “But, when Sol and I got the oak’s clearing it was behind a wall of webs…”

Dark Sol cut in, “Like thirty or forty feet high and too thick to see through.”

“Right.” Tegan confirmed. “And when we got close, three spider-beastling men crawled down the web-wall.”

“Yeah,” Dark Sol added, cheerfully,, “and there were like dozens of football-sized spiders creeping inside the webs, too.”

“Anyway,” Tegan Bramblerose cut to the chase, “they quickly made it clear that they wanted a ransom, to let us through.”

“And they wanted more than our two gold necklaces.” Dark Sol’s voice was flabbergasted at the expense.

Bolstered somewhat by the darkling’s willingness to offer her unearned gold-chain, for the Oaksworn’s greater good, Twilight Tommy was more suspicious about the deal. Fortunately, the choleric luck-sprite was not alone, as Tegan Bramblerose voiced his fears. “I’m not sure that the spider-guys are telling the truth, though.”

“Yeah,” Dark Sol chimed in again, “they had a real there’s-only-two-of-you-and-we’re-way-bigger vibe.”

“Exactly.” Tegan Bramblerose concluded. “But, the thing is, I don’t think fighting in the Briar, right at our clearing, is a great idea. So, I wanted to go back, in force, and try to intimidate them into taking the pay-off.”

“Makes sense.” Twilight Tommy said. “Then, if they don’t take the payment, we can force the issue… But, I really think we should just offer one gold chain and then negotiate from there.”

          Even though most of the other Oaksworn grumbled about not just rushing in swinging, everyone went along with Tegan’s desires, as usual. Which also raised Tommy’s morale, as it showed that the militant bloomwell, at least, was leaning away from the heretofore predilections for Oaksworn bloodthirstiness. Even so, the various shoppers redirected their energies to preparing for battle. In a best case scenario, the motley would simply appear suitably threatening, without having to fight the spider-beastlings.

          With effort, the six available Oaksworn reconvened, geared up, and made their way through the Thorn Maze just before sunset. None of the band, with the exception of Dark Sol, really liked being in the Thorny Between at nighttime. Even though, with the Briar’s dense foliage and the expansive web barrier, the edge of the oak haven’s clearing was indistinguishable from night. The addition of silence created by the lack of normal animal sounds, made for an ominous scene. An atmosphere exacerbated by the Oaksworn’s already somber mood.

          For his part, Twilight Tommy also fretted over the encounter to come. Especially, in light of some of the weaponry his allies had prepared, such as the canisters of gasoline and other flammables. Gavin Granitbane had even convinced Iron Wade the Man of Steal to gremlin-up a leaf-blower into a limited use flamethrower. The luck-sprite found it hard to convince himself that his notoriously brutal allies would not provoke an altercation and, while setting the webs aflame may have sounded cool to some, what about how very dry the autumnal Wilder Woods were? That said, Tommy had himself had purchased a flammable brand of bear-deterrent pepper-spray and a Zippo lighter, just in cast a “no survivors” situation did unfold.

          Here, dear reader, your modest author’s memory is regretfully full of sharp detail shards. In spite of the personal discomfort, your author shall attempt convey all that happened clearly. Perhaps so doing shall grant some ability to also set the mental images aside.

          The opaque barrier of webbing loomed, far more intimidating than the half dozen irritated Oaksworn. The pale silken-wall glowed faintly, as the waning Briar-sun cast weak light into the clearing on the other side of the barrier. Twilight Tommy found himself imagining that someone had been painting the forest onto an opalescent powder-gray canvas and had yet to finish the bit with Amy’s oak. The large scuttling, shadowy shapes within the web-sheets only enhanced the wall’s threat level, as did the utter lack of sound form any bug or bird.

          While Twilight Tommy had a glamour of Summer’s Embrace, the other five Oaksworn experienced the full brittle cold of the gentle breeze. The same breeze which caused the web-wall to faintly flex back and forth, as if it were breathing. While the Briar’s aroma of pine and roasting nuts became mingled with a sour metallic scent.

As Tegan Bramblerose and Dark Sol had warned, a trio of spider-beastlings slither-crawled from beyond the cover of dried canopy and down the webs. All of the arachni-guys were dark and tarantula-hairy, each had four arms, while one of them had four legs, as well. the octo-limed stranger stayed in the webs, about eight feet up, hanging upside-down with no apparent effort. The other two alighted on the ground, to parlay.

          Believing that dealing with familiar faces would be most efficacious, Tegan Bramblerose had insisted that only she and Dark Sol approach the extortionists. The bloomwell and slinky darkling also suggested that their feminine wiles might  ease negotiations. Furthermore, Twilight Tommy thought that he had detected a reticence, in Tegan Bramblerose at least, to have the often rude other Oaksworn within conversational range.

          Meanwhile, fearsome Raion-ju, Iron Wade the Man of Steal, and Gavin Granitbane stood glowering at the far end of Twilight Tommy’s luminous faery-aura. The light-sprite lingered alone between the two groups, worried that he was not close enough to either to be of any tangible value.

          The lead spider-beastling was all smiles and charm, at first. Then, everything went very-very wrong. That smiling arachnoid had cozied up to Tegan Bramblerose, while his other grounded buddy distracted flirtatious Dark Sol. From the Oaksworn’s’ perspectives, it seemed as if their bloomwell’s hypnotic aroma and the two women’s natural allures were working, as intended. Which, for some reason, rankled the intimidating Oaksworn and those three started bickering amongst themselves, over when best to rush forward and defend the ladies’ honors.

          Thus, providing the spider-beastlings with the distracted opportunity for which they had apparently been waiting. The falsely charming leader raised his horse-voice, to be heard by all, “Oh, I see your friends. Now, you shall meet mine! They like to wear red!”

Even as the last few words were being yelled, the now sinisterly grinning beastling grabbed Tegan Bramblerose, with his four muscular arms, flinging her into the sticky web-wall. Dark Sol, suffering the same attack, from the other spider-fiend, splayed out next to Tegan, a split second later.

Then, there were spidery humanoids all around. More than two-dozen of the foes rained down from the concealment of colorful tree-limbs. The three battle hungry Oaksworn lept eager to the fray—as always, practicing their favored “a good defense, was a reckless offense” philosophy. Twilight Tommy did not even have time to call for his allies to stay together and move to the women's’ aid.

Although, for a time at least, panther Raion-ju and saber-wielding Iron Wade did remain back to back, rotating to meet onrushing enemies. Claws and sword slashed and slashed, felling foes after foe in bloody pieces and ribbons. Meanwhile, with total disregard for coordination, let alone personal safety, Gavin Granitbane glamoured his hide to cinderblock-gray hardness and charged the lead spider-fiend.

The earthen ogres magical flamethrower engulfed a spidery foe or two, along the way, and their allies doused them quickly. Twilight Tommy could not help but feel grateful that someone else cared if the forest started to blaze, even as he saw another gout of fire reflected in Gavin Granitbane’s silvery neck band. Then the rough-hewn ogre was gone from view, having plunged into a pit, which the vile spider-creatures had dug earlier and covered with leaves.

Twilight Tommy fell in his own way, into a frenzy of desperate combat. The choleric sprite flared his aura into a blinding strobe-like effect, strengthened himself with Summer’s Might, magically increased allies’ luck, and decreased their enemies’. All the while, Tommy also pepper-sprayed with his left fist and punched with his right, wrapped in makeshift cold-iron knuckles. While the slender lads efforts made him extremely hard to hit, they did not help him move to an ally.

          Dark Sol and Tegan shouted incoherently, while struggling futilely against the sticky-silken bondage. Crimson plumes of flame rose from Gavin Granitbane’s pit, as hairy extra-limbed monsters cast sheet after sheet of webs into the hole. The gremlin and panther-beastlings were heavily obscured behind most of the spider horde.

          Then the breaking happened. Deep with in each Oaksworn, a horrendous metaphysical _SNAP!_ It felt worse than a mother’s betrayal, the sensation felt as if a tightrope walker had been crossing a steel cable, over a vast sheet of dark glass, and the wire broke, shattering the glass and hurling the walker-turned-lurching-faller through the spray of black razor shards. Twilight Tommy knew in less than a  breath’s span and without question that the shitty Sean Tallwind was behind the sickening sensation.

          For continuity’s sake, fair reader, your modest author shall insert here details which he himself learned much later..

          Sin City bound, reprehensible Tallwind had made it to and through the Oaksworn’s faery portal, before the spider-beastlings had arrived to set their traps. Upon hearing the motleys voice-mail, the burn-scarred gnarling came back through the oak’s magical back door. Within the clearing, Sean Tallwind found Amaryllis, who fretfully described what little she had been able to discern. The unfortunate dryad was unable to act or even perceive much outside of her clearing.

          Hearing Amaryllis’s report, amidst the sounds of battle beyond the webs, craven Sean Tallwind foreswore his oath to aid the others. The sniveling creature fled, once more through the faery portal, to save his own scarred and wrinkled hide.

The gnarled-gnome’s treachery also ripped away what little magic he had contributed to the Oaksworn’s haven. Leaving Amaryllis to concentrate on re-weaving the oak’s defensive glamours, even as the metaphysical lurching-break churned her insides. So, the choleric dryad was unable to act fast enough to prevent the betrayer’s escape.

After the betrayal’s moment of internal drop, each Oaksworn experienced a pulse of manic adrenalin. Raion-ju’s minty-eyes gleamed, slits almost fully dilated, as he tore the bristly arm from a foe’s body, with his bare clawed-hands. Iron Wade the man of Steal and Twilight Tommy each struck a bit more wildly. Tegan Bramblerose even managed to flick free one of her wrist-sheathed knives and flip it to Dark Sol. While the vitalityleech had managed to wrench loose an arm, from her hoodie, which remained affixed to the webs.

The next moment, another unforgiving internal _SNAP-crash_ struck the loyal Oaksworn. Dark Sol used Tegan’s blade, to cut herself free of the rest of her stuck garments. Then, the selfish and underwear-clad darkling glamour-vanished, into the shadows, and fled. \

The pain and wash of a second betrayal, so close on the first, was dizzying and staggered the few remaining motley members. Amaryllis struggled against the new riptide of departing energies, dissolving more of the haven’s rooms, walls, and furnishings, converting them to keep what remained as warded as possible. Iron Wade the Man of Steal and Raion-ju miss-stepped, were separated, and flanked by spider-kin. A moment later, something sharp and bloody sprang from the gnarling swordsman’s chest. Iron Wade gurgled, as he slid off of the arachnidan spear. Twilight Tommy’s distraction left him grabbed by wrists and ankles. The flames had stop spewing from Gavin Granitbane’s pit and, worst still, the enemy had smothered the hole completely with choking webs.

Screaming insensibly, Twilight Tommy was flung beside the openly sobbing Tegan Bramblerose, on the hideous wall that had started the whole tragedy. But, it was not quite over, yet. Even before the flexible barrier wavered back to stillness, a third soul-rending betrayal-break sliced through the bloomwell, light-sprite, and dryad. Somewhere in the mortal world, Freerunner, too suffered the same hurtful sensations, though he was, at least, spared the gruesome battle.

A different kind of flash had passed through Raion-ju’s cat-eyes, he fell to all fours over a fallen spider-asshole. As the last of the panther-beastling’s sentience departed, he lowered his head, triangle ears flat back, and he yanked free a grotesque  hairy-leg with his jaws. Then, the oathbreaking ogre-thing turned and sped into the dark and Thorny Between, with its bloody prize.

At this point, dear reader, your unfortunate author was hit with something so hard that it knocked him unconscious, even through the motocross helmet that he wore. So, it was again much later that Amaryllis conveyed what follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> View the [dramatis personae](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3632565), to help keep track of characters and pseudonyms:  
> A Quick Reference:  
> Summerfire ≡ Rust-Red Spear, Swords, and Spades ≡ Choleric ≡ rage and competition  
> Autumnearth ≡ Bronze Mirror, Pentacles, and Diamonds ≡ Melancholic ≡ terror and lore  
> Winterwater/ice ≡ Frozen Crystal Challis, Cups, and Hearts ≡ Phlegmatic ≡ sorrow and secrecy  
> Springair/wood ≡ Flowered Cape, Wands, and Clubs ≡ Sanguine ≅ desire and pleasure  
> Also see the full [glossary](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5165390), for tracking unusual terms and concepts.  
> 


	3. Chapter 3

The spider-beastlings effortlessly hauled the unconscious forms of Tegan Bramblerose and Twilight Tommy, many stories up. Atop their web-wall, the two captives were dangled, for distraught Amaryllis to see. “Little tree, little tree,” the spider-leader called, “Let us in and leave us unmolested. Else, we shall slaughter these, as well.”

Amaryllis had to do what she could to save her fellow Oaksworn. Yet, even distraught, the clever dryad was clever enough respond quickly. “You shall have full guest rights, so long as no further harm is visited upon my motley.”

Amaryllis’s lack of hesitation, made it seem as if she had not been calculating, so the victory-heady spider-fiends agreed. Thus, it was too late that the duplicitous dealers realized that the dryad’s words bound them. Hospitality kept the captive Oaksworn safe from further harm and their haven’s few remaining private places free of prying.

Nonetheless, the smug bandits scuttled into the oak. Twilight Tommy and Tegan Bramblerose were divested of weapons. Then, the pair were affixed, with steel-strong webbing, to the one remaining wall of the haven’s communal room.

For the most part, Amaryllis stayed safely melded within the oak itself. However, as hospitality-bound “guests”, the vile arachnids were entitled to food and drink. So, the wily dryad did partially emerge, just enough, to set forth the lightest fare and the most potent brews and wines, that she had available. In very little time, the celebratory spider-beastlings were drunkenly dull-witted, if not sleeping outright.

          Thus it was, when Twilight Tommy was roused by the dryad’s whispers in his ear. Tegan Bramblerose was already awake, hanging in her own uncomfortable “X” shape on the wall. The once magically well appointed and cozy living areas were unrecognizable. The bleak space, within the still mighty branches, lay open to the icy air. The loss of so many Oaksworn left only enough haven magic to keep the three remaining rooms securely locked—Tegan’s, Tommy’s and Freerunner’s. No sign of what had been a kitchen, nor furniture, nor windows or doors. Even the spiral stairs, which had led up into the branches and down into the trunk, was gone. Only a hole in the unpolished floor remained, for reaching the faery portal, which had also withstood the collapse.

          The three captive Oaksworn were all depleted of wyrd. So, Twilight Tommy could not call on Summer’s Might , in order to bolster his muscles enough to rip through his silken shackles. All that Tegan Bramblerose and the dimly-lit sprite had was the faint flicker of reassurance that their motley, while broken, may still rally. Internally the sharp strands of three broken oaths still flailed about and two strands were simply gone, where once Gavin Granitbane and Iron Wade the Man of Steal’s promises had been. However, Freerunner remained true and free and Amaryllis had a plan.

          Although, the surreptitious dryad, only her face forming from the wall, did have to repeat her whispered instructions several times for Twilight Tommy. The blond elf realized that he had stopped processing sensory input, at some point during the battle. Sensation returned with harsh and compounded interest, the chill breeze was icy slaps, shrill string-instruments stabbed at pointy-ears, and bitter peppery smell scalded nostrils.

          In truth, the breeze was weaker than earlier. Most of the spider-fiends slept and none were in view, however some gathered in the clearing and played music like drunken gypsies. Even in Twilight Tommy’s colorless aura, his bloomwell friend’s completion had always seemed lustrous, yet Tegan’s skin looked ashen as bleached bone. The pepper scent was Twilight Tommy’s own clothing, having absorbed so much from the cloud of bear-repellent in which he had surrounded himself during combat. After several long moments, the luck-sprite sorted those details out and was able to start registering his dryad friend’s words.

          “… understand,? Tommy?” Amaryllis’s low urgent whisper tickled the sprite’s tapered ear.

          “Wha…” Twilight Tommy cleared his throat and whispered back as quietly as he could. “Sorry Amy, I think I’m clear enough now, what did you say?”

          Amaryllis’s exasperated sigh also contained a fair amount of relief, “Now that both of you are awake, I will cut you down. Then, the two of you will move quick and quiet to the portal to that red-desert place.” The slim and battered boy attempted to protest, but Amaryllis brooked no descent. “Letting the horrid spiders in was all I could do to save you. And, as guests they have no access to the private places, so your rooms remain secure. However, we are bound as Oaksworn, so my offer of hospitality is yours as well. Therefore, none of us may strike out at them, even if you had decent weapons or strength and magic left. I will stay safe in the oak and they will grow bored and move on… It probably won’t take more than a season or two. But, if either of you remain, even hold up in your rooms, then I will have to feed you. If host eats, so shall guests, which will only encourage them to linger. So, once you are beyond the portal, it shall bar their passage, as sure as the locks on your rooms. Thus, all will be safe and they will simply needs be waited out.”

          Neither bloomwell nor unfinished-star liked the plan, however both accepted its necessity. It took several tense minutes for Amaryllis to slice her friends loose, using her ceramic cooking knives. The dryad gently lowered first Tegan Bramblerose, then Twilight Tommy, to their knees. The pair then spent several more long moments, rubbing feeling into their numb limbs. Which also afforded the escapees a better vantage of the room-turned-branch-laden-platform.

          A small pile of backpacks and gear had been left, nestled in a bole, to one side. Weapons had been claimed immediately, by the arachnid-bastards, however the Oaksworn’s other belongings had been left for post-celebratory rummaging. Unfortunately, concerns for swift and silent departure, limited Tegan Bramblerose and Twilight Tommy to one pack each. The elfin figures opted for their backpacks, favoring the familiarity and assurance of knowing what should be within.

          On tip-toe the duo approach the hole that had once been a trapdoor and stairway down. The hole that remained revealed the first few slots of a crude ladder, formed into the wall below. Clad In barky centurion-style armor, Amaryllis rose-ghostly from the solid platform, beside her friends. The serious dryad held up three fingers, then held her hands together at her temple, miming sleep. Pointing to the floor, Amaryllis “grew” a bas relief replica of the trunk’s interior space. The aerial-view texture-map depicted every detail of the chamber below, including the trio of sleeping spider-beastlings.

          Concentrating, Twilight Tommy adjusted his faery-light aura, to provide just enough illumination to see were it would be safe to step. Then the light-sprite and Tegan Bramblerose eased themselves down the crude ladder and across the former rec-room, to the faery portal. At the door, the pair silently choreographed the final steps of their escape, coordinating via hand gestures.

Tegan Bramblerose unlocked and opened the portal, for Twilight Tommy to speed through. The slender lad also grabbed his folding bike, which he had kept propped next to that entrance. Then, Tegan swung through, closing and locking the door, behind them both.

          The sun had been well and truly set in the Wilder Woods of the Midwest Territories, yet was just nestling into the horizon of the Red Rock Canyon State Park. In spite of the magic portal’s security, the two sprites ran purposefully away from that place. The sun was then a half-dome and both runner’s tears had finally dried, when they paused to assess their situation.

          Under the hazy purpling sky, enrobed in the aromas of dry earth and bloomwell aura, Tegan Bramblerose and Twilight Tommy enumerated the contents of their packs. Neither had weapons of any kind, yet the spiders had not ransacked the backpacks, so each retained their rarest possessions—A magic mirror for the lad and a magic mechanical mouse for the lass. Both refugees also had bottles of water and snack foods, as well as spare clothes, cell-phones, and mortal currency. So, reaching Las Vegas would be as possible as ever.

          While Twilight Tommy unfolded his Dahon D7, Tegan Bramblerose called Freerunner. The remaining Oaksworn was distraught, knowing only who had broken their vows, not why or anything of the surrounding conflict. The otter-beastling was deeply regretful, first for having not checked his messages sooner, then for having been too far away to aid in the battle.

          “It’s just as well, now though.” Emotionally drained Tegan Bramblerose reassured, as best she could. “Had you been there, you’d be stuck in the desert with us, or dead. This way, at least, you can deal with our mundane stuff there and then head to Vegas.” There was a pause, while Freerunner spoke. “Well, we shouldn’t just abandon the rental house and Tommy wants you to use his spare keys to drive his Camero out here.” Another pause and the bloomwell’s voice soured. “I say sell Raion-ju’s motorcycle and anything else you find that belongs to any of them. that should be enough. If not, in a few days Tommy and I should be able to wire you gas-money.”

          That settled, Tegan Bramblerose and Twilight Tommy moved on. Nimble bloomwell balancing on handlebars, while determined star-sprite pedaled. Into the ruddy vestiges of a setting sun and towards whatever shape their freshly malformed faery-lives would take.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, for reading my story, I sincerely hope that you enjoyed it. The next Twilight Tommy taleAs One Shall See is available now.  
> Please, share your thoughts or feelings about this, or any, Twilight Tommy tale—via comments here on AO3 or by emailing me at GitariArt@gmail.com. I most appreciate polite criticism. If you really enjoyed my story, please let others know.  
> Thanks, again – GitariArt


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